


Budding

by errantknightess



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, Developing Friendships, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 03:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14535261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: The old lilac bush in the corner had only started to blossom a couple of days ago, but it was already plucked clean of flowers on the branches that spilled over the fence to the street. Lavi never got to enjoy them for long; they were all the rage with idiots in need of a last-minute bouquet for their stupid dates.As if on cue, the lilac rustled vigorously. Lavi mouthed a curse and stood up slowly, keeping his head low so as not to alert whoever was messing with it. Bad timing, dude – no way he would let it slide right under his nose.





	Budding

One of these days, Lavi swore, he was going to surround his grandfather’s garden with barbed wire.

Or an electric fence. It made no difference to him, really, as long as it would keep people away from the flowerbeds. Not that he particularly cared for the flowerbeds as such – not with the unholy amount of work they added to his already busy schedule; but the very idea of strangers reaching into his front yard with no respect for concepts of personal property and privacy was giving him the creeps. And that was exactly what happened every spring through summer, as soon as the first flowers started to bloom. Part of the charm of living by the main street.

His grandfather didn’t mind much. “It’s not like they’re stealing anything of value,” he would say. Who cares if they pick a flower or two, there will be others growing in the same spot soon enough. Then again, it’s been a while since the old man had the time to tend to his weeds himself. These days, it was on Lavi to keep the garden from turning into a jungle, and though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, it was driving him up the wall to see his efforts going to waste.

Lavi set down his garden shears and wiped his forehead with his tattered headband. The air in the thicket was hot and heavy, filled with steady buzzing of insects. The midday sun filtering through huge, deep green leaves had him sweating his wits out. Winded, Lavi sat back on the grass and spread out his legs, cramps jolting down his muscles after a long while of uncomfortable crouching. That was already enough to put him in a sour mood, and it only got worse when he looked at the stretch of overgrown azaleas that still waited for his attention. At least those were safe, lining the side of the garden where the greedy hands of passers-by couldn’t reach them. Most of the other plants weren’t so lucky. The old lilac bush in the corner had only started to blossom a couple of days ago, but it was already plucked clean of flowers on the branches that spilled over the fence to the street. Lavi never got to enjoy them for long; they were all the rage with idiots in need of a last-minute bouquet for their stupid dates.

As if on cue, the lilac rustled vigorously. Lavi mouthed a curse and stood up slowly, keeping his head low so as not to alert whoever was messing with it. Bad timing, dude – no way he would let it slide right under his nose.

Sneaking up was easy under the cover of green. The spreading lilac hid him from view right until it was time to attack. In a blink, Lavi pulled himself up on the knotty trunk and reached out, catching the thief red-handed – literally, as the hand he grabbed was a bright shade of blotchy crimson, with strangely discoloured fingernails. It was yanked out of his grip rather violently, but before its owner could get away, Lavi leaned out further and seized him firmly by the collar of his shirt.

“Not so fast.”

The kid squirmed like a kitten held over a bath. He looked pretty young despite his white hair – damn, they really started early on those bad habits.

“Let me go,” the kid hissed, still trying to free himself from the grip. Lavi clenched the handful of fabric harder and tugged at it, forcing him to look up from what looked like a very uncomfortable position.

“Do they smell better when they’re stolen?” he sneered.

“I don’t know,” the kid spat. “I didn’t smell them.”

“You take a whole bunch and you don’t even smell them? What a waste.” Lavi clicked his tongue and leaned leisurely against the fence. Oh, this was going to be so much more fun than weeding.

The kid glared at him for a moment before shoving his face right into the violet buds in his arms and taking a loud, exaggerated whiff.

“There,” he said flatly. “Are you happy now?”

“That’s better.” Lavi couldn’t help the smirk crawling onto his lips. “I can’t let my blood, sweat and tears go to someone who doesn’t appreciate them properly, you know.”

“Well, I appreciate them.” The kid wriggled again and went limp, fixing Lavi with a hopeful stare. “Can I go now?”

Lavi’s grin grew wider. This was just too good.

“Sure. And I’m going with you.” In one swift move, he jumped over the fence and landed face to face with the kid, who barely kept his balance with Lavi’s fist still tight on his shirt.

“What?!”

“What?” Lavi shrugged and slung his arm around the kid, holding him in place. “I’m curious what’s gonna happen to my flowers.”

The kid glared at him and started to walk away as best he could with Lavi still hanging off his neck. Lavi just quickened his pace, easily falling into step beside him. A quiet sigh of resignation made the thin shoulders under his arm slump a little.

“I’d really rather you didn’t go there with me.”

Lavi snorted, tightening his hold.

“And I’d rather you didn’t steal my flowers. Yet here we are.”

“I need them,” the kid mumbled, his eyes trained on the pavement.

“Oh yeah? For what?”

“For… for someone.” The reluctance in his voice was clear even for how quietly he spoke. Lavi rolled his eye. Called it. Yet another cheapskate high school casanova.

“I’d like to see that,” he said slyly, tilting his head back towards the clear blue sky. “Must be one hell of a girl to be worth trespassing and theft.”

“I wasn’t trespassing!” the kid burst out. “They were over the fence, not on your property. And they’re not for a girl, anyway.”

“Oh? Don’t worry, I'm open-minded.” Lavi looked down at him with a half-teasing grin that only grew bigger as he watched the kid’s face flush bright red.

“That’s— I mean, I’m… It’s for… a family… thing,” he finished lamely.

“Even better,” Lavi decided cheerfully. “I’m sure granny will be very proud. You might wanna start thinking how you’re gonna explain that her cute little boy is a stinky thief.” He had to admit, the kid _was_ kinda cute. There was some cheeky charm to him that felt all too familiar. For a moment, Lavi almost gave in to it, but curiosity quickly got the better of him. He was dying to see where this all would lead to.

“I really don’t…” the kid sighed, turning to him with a pained look in his gray eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

“To make a point.” Lavi held his gaze, unwavering. “I’m done with people ripping through my yard to impress their date or get on Auntie’s good side or whatever. Let this be a lesson taught by humiliation. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Look who’s talking.” The kid elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re the one who won’t leave me alone. Do you enjoy harassing strangers?”

“Much more than I enjoy gardening,” Lavi laughed. “But we don’t have to be strangers. I’m Lavi. What’s your name?”

“What’s it to you?”

“If you’re going to introduce me to your family, we should be on first name basis, don’t you think?”

“You just won’t let it go, will you?” the kid groaned.

“Nope!” Lavi beamed at him. “You had it coming.”

“I get it already, okay?” the kid muttered, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. The rough skin of his left hand scraped lightly against Lavi’s bare arm. The odd, dry touch was startling; as soon as he realized, the kid pulled his hand away, dropping it awkwardly at his side. Lavi caught his uncertain glance, but didn’t react – and certainly didn’t let go, his arm still wrapped securely around the kid’s shoulders.

“It’s Allen.” His voice came softer than before, and even more quiet. Lavi smiled at this unexpected shift. Maybe they were getting somewhere with this after all.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, giving his arm a little pat. Allen shivered, but didn’t pull away, apparently resigned to his fate already. They must’ve looked like old friends, Lavi thought, walking and teasing each other like that on their way to wherever they were headed.

Their destination didn’t remain a mystery for much longer. As soon as the wrought-iron fence loomed in sight, Lavi got a good idea of where they were going. The graveyard was a questionable but easy shortcut to the river; just on the other side of the grounds was a small park and a promenade with picnic tables – of course, a great place for a family meeting on a hot day like this.

Except Allen turned right off the main alley, heading deeper into the maze of narrow paths. After bumping his shin on a gravestone for a third time within a few steps, Lavi decided to let go of his neck, but still followed him closely, keeping a firm grip on the back of his shirt. If this was some last desperate attempt to ditch him, it was a good effort. But Allen didn’t look like he was trying to run anymore; he just kept weaving his way around until he finally stopped off to the side, near the drain with the water tap.

“Lilacs were his favourite,” he said in a small voice, his head bowed low.

Lavi blinked at him, confused. It wasn’t until Allen kneeled down to put the flowers on the ground that his gut twisted with horrible understanding.

He didn’t notice the grave at first for how humble it was. No headstone, just a simple wooden cross and a single candle under it – and a half-wilted bunch of purple lilacs.

“Oh sh—“ He swallowed the curse, turning his eye away. Fuck, he felt so stupid now – like a complete and utter jerk. “Look, I… I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Allen’s voice was distant, his eyes empty as he stared at the grave with his hands clasped. Lavi watched him pray, watched his knuckles turn white as he squeezed his hands tight together, sinking his teeth into his finger to stop them from trembling. Himself a shoddy believer, he wasn’t sure what to do. A part of him wanted to turn around and go, run out of that wrought-iron gate and never look back; but the kid looked like he needed a tub of ice cream and a three-hour hug, and _damn_ , Lavi couldn’t just leave him there like that. So instead he just stood awkwardly, biting at his lip until Allen rose to his feet again and turned to him with an unreadable expression.

“Thank you for the flowers,” he said.

“That’s— I mean,” Lavi stammered, his mouth suddenly dry. “You know… You can take them any time if you want. Just saying.”

Allen nodded, still piercing him with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. As he walked past, Lavi raised his hand, resting it awkwardly on his shoulder; Allen didn’t stop, or turn, but for the briefest moment he let it linger, before it slipped off like a flower petal carried away by the wind.

 

***

It wasn’t until a week later that Lavi finally found it in himself to go back there.

The wide main alley was flooded with sun, the trees lining it speckled gold and sparkling as their leaves fluttered in the breeze. It felt weird, so different from what Lavi was used to when he thought about graveyards. The light, the colours blooming all around in the sea of gray stone scorched in his eye, almost too bright. There was no grief hanging in the clear air – just peace and quiet, and something bittersweet, like good memories lingering still after days long gone by.

He found the grave quite quickly for how far away it was hidden from the main paths. The lilacs Allen had left there had already dried and shriveled in the hot sun. The tiny flowers scattered down between his fingers when he picked them up. For a moment, the grave looked even more depressing, naked and covered with wilted petals. It was oddly relieving to fill that gaping void with the fresh bunch of lilacs he brought. The candle had went out too, the remains of the wick still sticking out the half-molten wax. Lavi fumbled for his matches and carefully lit it again; the flame danced in the wind, and even as the gust blew through his hair and tugged at his jacket, the sight of that tiny fire gave him warmth. He did all he could do here. He had no prayers to offer, nothing of the sorts – but this should be enough.

Picking his way back through the labyrinth of narrow paths took longer than the first time. Curiosity stopped him here and there, over crumbling, abandoned graves and faded memorial plaques. This place was brimming with history, with hundreds of histories, hidden forever behind rows of letters and numbers engraved on silent stone slabs. Just looking at them, Lavi itched to know them all; and maybe one day, he hoped, he would learn at least one, marked with a simple cross in a distant corner way behind him.

As he turned to leave through the wrought-iron gate, just for a blink he thought he spotted the familiar white hair by the fence. He couldn’t be sure, though, and it might have just been any of the old folks that came there.

 

***

The spring warmth was quickly giving way to summer heat. The sun glared from the spotless sky, white and relentless. The weather grew hotter every day, and with every day working in the garden was getting more and more unbearable.

Lavi sat back on his heels, thankful for the shielding shade of the bushes. It offered little relief from the rising temperature, but it was better than nothing. Some wind would sure be great, though – even the tiniest bit, any moment now—

The long-awaited gust didn’t come, but the lilac in the corner still shook suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts. Lavi smiled as a familiar red hand grabbed onto low hanging branches and rustled them in a fruitless search.

“They’re only left near the top now,” he said, already climbing the fence from his side. Below him, Allen followed his eye up and up the tree, his face falling the further his gaze trailed.

“Can your reach that high?” he asked, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the leaves.

“I’m taller than you, remember?” Lavi laughed. In just a few moves, he made his way as far as he could. The top branches were too thin to climb on, but all he needed was to get a good grasp. The rough wood scraped his hands as he took a hold of it and slowly bent it down towards Allen.

“Is that enough? I don’t want to snap it.”

“That will do!” Allen beamed and started picking the last of the purple clusters peeking among the leaves. Lavi waited for him to finish before carefully releasing his hold; the branch sprang back, showering him with loose leaves as he jumped down on the ground again.

“You should take some lilies, too.” He cleared his throat, pointing to the tall, lean stalks lining the back wall of the house. “You have a good timing, they don’t bloom for long.”

“Thank you, but I can’t.” Allen shook his head with a shy smile. “This is more than enough. You won’t have anything left here if you give me so much every time I come by.”

“Hey, at least then I won’t have to take care of this place.” Lavi shrugged, turning around to cut a few of the biggest lilies in full bloom. They’d just be wasting away here otherwise – and he always hated to see his efforts go to waste.

“Really, Lavi…” Allen raised his hand in protest, but Lavi just thrust the flowers between his fingers. The red, dry skin felt scratchy to the touch like tree bark, his fingers like thin twigs shaking at the contact.

“Please, take them.” Lavi gently curled Allen’s fingers on the lilies. “And if you see anything else you like, just tell me, okay?”

For a moment, Allen fell silent, eyes darting down to a stray lilac leaf left on Lavi’s shoulder.

“Would you…” He paused, reached to pluck it off, crushing it in his hand as he looked for words. “I mean… Do you think you could come with me today?”

“Sure.” In one leap, Lavi cleared the fence and landed by his side, slipping his arm around Allen’s shoulders. They fell in step easily strolling down the sidewalk, as if they had done it hundreds of times before. Allen leaned into him as they rounded the corner, warm skin on skin – but for the first time in a long time, Lavi didn’t mind the heat.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this prompt](http://awful-aus.tumblr.com/post/116941769918/awful-au-196)


End file.
